My Review:
Heavy Metal: Music which is Profound (Heavy) and Gritty Sounding (Metal).
Whenever I do a review of a band which has chosen a genre which is not considered as being “mainstream” and is not as well known to the general public, I feel that it is only fair to everyone concerned, that is, not only to the group, but to my readers as well, that I give a little background material on their chosen genre, so that their music can be better understood. We must keep in mind that
music is a language meant for communication and unless we understand the language we cannot communicate with it.
First of all, Death Metal does not follow the usual “verse – chorus – verse” of traditional pop and pop rock music. It begins with a riff and than another and another until the song is complete. Second, Death metal bands tend to use complex language to describe the world in terms of its function and technologies. Death Metal music is very structured and in that respect, is closer to classical and baroque music than it is to rock. Unlike rock genres, there is almost a total absence of gender words and love songs. Its goal is not to affirm the emotions of the individual, but to point out the effects of structural change in the surrounding world. Death metal is not about emotional escapism. Death metal is about reality.
Probably one of the biggest complaints, especially from first time listeners of Death Metal, is that they can’t understand the lyrics. I have to admit that this is not always an easy task. Unlike other forms of music, in Death Metal the vocalist takes almost a secondary role to the music. The volume of the vocalist is usually slightly lower than that of the music. In Death Metal the music, not the vocalist, plays the central role. Secondly, rather than singing in a clear, melodious voice, the Death Metal vocalist uses low pitched “death growls” and high pitched “death rasp” screams. All this aside, if a person is truly interested in broadening their music horizons, by paying close attention to and repetitive listening, the lyrics of Death Metal, can and should be, understood.
Now on to Lambs to the Slaughter, by Kaamora. The name Kaamora or Caamora, means “to purge through use of fire”. Kaamora hails from the small town of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The central theme of this EP is the destruction of society by the very machines it has created. That by the “flip of a switch” the predator becomes the prey and that we are close to becoming a Matrix-like society. This is a classic Death Metal theme.
The first thing that impressed me is that listening to the full EP is like reading a book. Everything is in order and to further enhance this the lead-in tracks have been eliminated between several of the tracks so that they blend together as one. Since the player I use on this blog only plays one track at a time I had to combine tracks to demonstrate this effect. You’ll have to take my word that this is how it appears on the EP. The EP starts out with the eerie, short introduction, Into the Storm, which sets the mood and continues on, chapter after chapter, that is song after song, and finishes with End of an Aeon, that is the Aeon of man. By listening to this EP you catch a glimpse of the history and the fate of man. Of things past, and things yet to come.
I’ve never considered myself a “head banger”, but about halfway through the second track I found my head bobbing to the rhythmic beat! The music is that well written and the band plays superbly! Drummer Dyl Jones carries a heavy and steady beat, Lead guitarist Will X and bassist Aaron Thomas play-off against each other flawlessly and Emgee’s keyboards round out and add fullness to the music.
Vocalist Luke Greenwood can actually sing and has an amazing range, from the lowest “Death Growl” to the highest pitched “Death Rasp” scream! Even though he sings behind a wall of sound, his lyrics come through.
Kaamora may very well be setting a new standard and raising the bar of Heavy Metal/Death Metal for bands to come. I agree with the other reviews of this group. Kaamora should be fronting for a major Metal group and should be on a major label within a year!
If you are a Heavy/Death Metal fan, you owe it to yourself to purchase a copy of Lambs to the Slaughter by Kaamora. If you are not a fan of Heavy/Death Metal, you should buy a copy of Lambs to the Slaughter, anyway, as a means of broadening you musical horizons and becoming more eclectic in your musical tastes. 9 out of 10 and a thumbs up for Lambs to the Slaughter, by Kaamora!
By Bill Dwyer
People should check out the other reviews that Bill has completed. What is interesting about Bill's reviews is that he covers a wide range of music genres.
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